LOS ANGELES (April 19, 2017) – AEG’s LA Galaxy, adidas, Major League Soccer and Parley for the Oceans have united today to raise awareness around the harmful impact of marine plastic pollution with the unveiling of adidas MLS Parley club jerseys. The kits—each made from technical yarns containing Parley Ocean Plastic™—will be worn by both teams Sunday, April 23 when the LA Galaxy host Seattle Sounders FC at StubHub Center.

The Galaxy will don the Parley jerseys on Sunday in conjunction with Protect the Pitch Day, an initiative by both AEG’s LA Galaxy and StubHub Center to showcase the two organizations’ committed effort to build a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly stadium. The contest, which features TreePeople as the Community Partner of the Match, will kick off at 1 p.m. PT and be shown live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

The Parley jerseys will also be worn when New York City FC host Orlando City SC at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.

“We are very proud to be working with a new partner in MLS and its participating teams to enforce the usage, messaging and awareness around the beauty and fragility of the Oceans,” said Michael Batz, adidas Vice President of Product, Global Brands, Soccer. “Our core brand belief is that through sport, we have the power to change lives and feel that MLS is an ideal partner to transport and establish this belief in soccer – connecting a global sport with meaningful desire to preserve the environment. It will be the first step to explore and expand future opportunities.”

Protect the Pitch is a program launched by the LA Galaxy and StubHub Center last year that focuses on reducing the environmental impact of LA Galaxy games and practices at StubHub Center, supporting environmental projects in our community, and inspiring fans to help create healthier, more sustainable communities. As part of Protect the Pitch, the Galaxy and StubHub Center will continue to implement various efforts designed to engage the community, save water, conserve energy, and reduce waste while involving and encouraging the Galaxy fan base to support these efforts.

In addition to donning the Parley jerseys Sunday, the LA Galaxy and StubHub Center will work to celebrate and highlight the various initiatives implemented to conserve energy, increase sustainability and reduce carbon footprint during the match. The LA Galaxy will also sell Relan Tote Bags, which are made from recycled materials from the club’s 2014 MLS Cup Championship banner previously hung inside StubHub Center. Fans will be able to purchase the LA Galaxy Relan Tote Bags at StubHub Center on Sunday and online by visiting squareup.com/market/la-galaxy-foundation/. Additionally, the live music featured at Pitch & Pale will be powered by energy created from bicycle-powering station.

Following the inception of the adidas FC Bayern Munich and Real Madrid C.F. Parley Jerseys in November 2016, the new MLS jerseys expand on this initial collaboration, bringing the initiative to North America for the first time. The new MLS white and grey jerseys feature alternative colorway details and are crafted from Parley Ocean Plastic™ upcycled from marine plastic intercepted by Parley clean-up operations in coastal areas of the Maldives. Once collected, the original plastic source is reworked into technical fibers that can then be repurposed for use in either apparel or footwear – and in this instance, the jerseys worn by MLS clubs. To commemorate this unique process of repurposing marine plastic debris, the message “For the Oceans” is featured on the back-neck tape detailing, found inside each jersey.

"Every second breath we take is generated by the oceans. And still, we are at war with the sea,” said Cyrill Gutsch, Founder of Parley for the Oceans. “We are killing it off in rapid speed. Now is the time to negotiate peace with our life support and to invent our way out of this mess. Soccer can lead the way. It shows what we can achieve with the right balance of creativity, collaboration and technology. Let's accept the oceans defense as our biggest challenge and protect the air we need."

Since the announcement of the adidas and Parley partnership in April 2015, the focus of the collaboration is the brand’s commitment to implement the Parley A.I.R. strategy (Avoid, Intercept, Redesign). As a part of “Redesign”, adidas is committed to increasing the use of eco-innovative materials such as Parley Ocean Plastic™ in its products as a replacement for virgin plastic, as well as setting new industry standards with a focus on creativity and collaboration.

“Major League Soccer and our clubs are committed to raising awareness about environmental issues through the League’s Greener Goals platform,” said JoAnn Neale, Chief Administrative & Social Responsibility Officer, Major League Soccer. “Off the pitch, we’ll service our local communities as part of MLS WORKS Week of Service leading up to Earth Day, and we’re thrilled to support efforts on the field with adidas and Parley For the Oceans to help create a cleaner, healthier environment.”

For more information visit http://www.adidas.com/us/soccer and join the conversation on Twitter and Instagram with #adidasParley and #NeverFollow.

PROTECT THE PITCH INITIATIVES

In-House Resources

StubHub Center houses 12 chickens in a dedicated chicken coup on site

StubHub Center is home to four separate beehives which produce over 800 pounds of honey per year

A greenhouse resides that StubHub Center, which produces numerous types of vegetables used to provide food for tenants at StubHub Center

Energy

Motion sensors save energy by ensuring lights stay off when no one is using them

New and upgraded LED lights less 60 percent less energy than the lighting array it replaced

StubHub Center is the only soccer-specific MLS stadium to utilize LED stadium lights

StubHub Center uses 1-megawatt of Tesla batteries, StubHub Center manages energy usage in a more responsible and environmentally-friendly way

Water

The LA Galaxy irrigate fields at StubHub Center with roughly 50% recycled water, saving about 35 Olympic swimming pools of drinking water each year

Fans are encouraged to carpool, use public transportation, or cycle to try to reduce your carbon footprint

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ABOUT ADIDAS SOCCER
adidas is the global leader in soccer. It is the official sponsor / official supplier partner of the most important soccer tournaments in the world, such as the FIFA World Cup™, the FIFA Confederations Cup, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, the UEFA European Championships and Major League Soccer. adidas also sponsors some of the world’s top clubs including Manchester United, Real Madrid, FC Bayern Munich, Juventus, Chelsea and AC Milan. Some of the world’s best players also on the adidas roster are Leo Messi, Paul Pogba, Gareth Bale, Thomas Müller, Luis Suárez, James Rodríguez, Diego Costa and Mesut Özil.

ABOUT PARLEY
Parley for the Oceans is a collaboration network and organization that raises awareness for the beauty and fragility of the oceans and unites the creative industries in projects that can end their destruction. Led by the Parley AIR Strategy (Avoid, Intercept, and Redesign), the Parley Ocean Plastic Program drives locally tailored, global initiatives with a focus on communication and education, research and development, direct action, and eco innovation to end the cycle of pollution long-term.